Sunday, November 28, 2010

Ask the right questions when considering events

The accelerated pace at which we live coupled with the prevalence of "glowing rectangles" in our lives (90 percent of our time, according to The Onion, which sometimes seems pretty close, right?) occasionally can cause us to minimize the importance of human connections in our lives. As many of us gathered around dining room tables to give thanks and eat turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, perhaps circuitry shifted a bit. Time with family and friends allows us to reconnect with what's most important in life. To drop down to the human level.

That connection to the human is what makes events so compelling and powerful. Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the debate brewing in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, the capitol, about the nature, budget, and appropriate term for a series of events honoring the completion of the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, here in Philadelphia. The debate, as gleaned from the story, misses the point entirely which is why the events are important and what the outcomes and strategy ought to be.

If you're thinking about toning things down, cutting your budget, debating about whether to hold or sponsor an event, start with strategy first. Here are a couple questions to consider: do we need a way to better connect with people (influencers, customers, donors, clients, constituents, members, patients, etc.)? What do we want to have happen as a result?

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Sponsorship Strategist Gail Bower

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